Today, we'll look at Beijing's two faces, the image of women by Boris Johnson, the bizarre farewell press conference by Heinz-Christian Strache, and the question of whether red meat might not be so unhealthy.
The two faces of Beijing
NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP
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While the Chinese government celebrated the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic yesterday in Beijing and left for 80 minutes mainly tanks and fighter bombers on the place of the celestial peace role, the dictatorship 2000 kilometers away showed her even more repugnant face.
In Honkong, more people than ever took to the streets to protest Beijing's attempts to bring the city under its control. The demonstrators were massively harassed by the state authorities. In Beijing, the leadership only showed its potential for violence, but in Hong Kong, too, it took advantage of it . The police brutally attacked the protesters.
What their true motives are and how the movement began, describes my colleague Bernhard Zand, who pursued the protests from day one.
- Hong Kong protests against China: It started with a murder
Boris Johnson, a tatter?
Frank Augstein / AP
Should somebody who has failed politically, who drove his people into Brexit with lies and now has no idea how to implement it, stumble upon something that has nothing to do with his political failure? It is at least possible.
Actually, the party of the Torys in Manchester should be the prelude to the upcoming election campaign. Now he is overshadowed by reports concerning Boris Johnson's private life . In the past few days, several women made charges that Johnson had touched them immoral - eating under the table, for example. A woman with whom he allegedly had an affair during his time as mayor of London is said to have received grants for her company.
So far, the British did not seem to care that their prime minister seems to have a similar approach to women as Donald Trump did: as an asset. That seems to be changing now.
Today, Johnson will be declaring the Tory convention in Manchester with a speech. As interesting as what he says about his plan for Brexit, that will be what he says about the reproaches of women.
Yes, it may seem apolitical for Johnson to be troubled by his private life , even though he is traveling like a ghost driver with the future of his country. But perhaps the private is in the end a real catalyst for the political.
- Panic in Downing Street: Harassment allegations overshadow Tory party convention
An open G layer
CHRISTIAN BRUNA / EPA-EFE / REX
His political ending started with alcohol and it ended with alcohol. During his meeting with an alleged oligarch on Ibiza, in which Heinz-Christian Strache talked about his head and neck, he consumed an impressive amount of vodka redbull. When the former vice-chancellor announced yesterday in front of the press his "complete political withdrawal" , he chose as a place a wine bar. He sat in front of a vase filled with wine corks and five bottles of wine. A satirical show could not have arranged it better. The Strache era was in all respects an "open-minded ghetto" - Strache had explained the evening in Ibiza itself.
He wanted to "put down his membership in the FPÖ" until the allegations against him were clarified, said Strache in front of the wine bottles. He refers to recent evidence that he has been able to operate on a large scale expenses misuse.
His party, which crashed by almost nine percentage points to 17.3 percent in the Sunday elections, is now relieved. The main culprit for the election result would not only be found, but also quiet. Like no other party had the FPÖ polemicized against the allegedly corrupt elites. But with Strache she had last on board that politician on board, who was regarded as a corruption tester of all.
With Strache the FPÖ is by no means rid of all its problems. After all, it was the entire party that had indulged its leader for years. And his expense statements must have signed off somebody.
The wine bottles remained untouched at Strache's departure by the way.
- Departure of ex-FPÖ chief Strache: rise and fall of a populist
Pig or not pig
DPA
Food Minister Julia Klöckner wants to introduce a traffic light labeling for food. On the products, letters and colors should make it clear from the middle of next year on whether it is a rather healthy or unhealthy product. The procedure is called Nutri-Score . The three colors green, yellow and red are to be supplemented by letters from A = healthy to E = finger away. Independent nutritionists should create the label.
In essence, Nutri score is a good thing. Unfortunately, the labeling remains voluntary for the manufacturers. Some do not want to join.
There will not be an infallible orientation for consumers anyway. For research is chronically disagreeing on certain foods. One recent example: a group of scientists led by Bradley Johnston, epidemiologist at Dalhousie University, Canada, believes that it has been found that eating red meat and sausage products has no negative health effects. Who eats beef, pork and salami, therefore, has no appreciably higher risk of getting cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Of course, the result was immediately doubted by other scientists. And the next study, which proves again the opposite, will not be long in coming. It remains complicated.
- Food labeling: Klöckner advocates Nutri-Score
Winners of the day ...
Daniel Bockwoldt / DPA
... is Udo Lindenberg . Today, he is awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany at Bellevue Palace. It is not appreciated that he showed his fellow citizens how to stay active with alcohol and cigars until advanced age. The ceremony takes place on the occasion of the Day of German Unity under the motto "courage to the future: overcoming borders".
Lindenberg has brought the unit known. He is on a par with David Hasselhoff ("Looking for Freedom") and the Scorpions ("Wind of Chance"). It took a few years until Erich Honecker succumbed to Lindenberg's charm. But ultimately he could not escape the tempting offer from the "special train to Pankow":
"I have a bottle of cognac with me and it tastes deliciousThat's what I'm loafing with the Erich Honecker "
The compact news overview in the morning: current and opinionated. Every morning (weekdays) at 6 o'clock. Order directly here:
The latest news from the night
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- Duchess Meghan is suing the "Mail of Sunday" : her husband, Prince Harry, denounces the British gossip for their "ruthless campaign" - and reminds of his deceased mother
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I wish you a nice start to the day.
Your Markus Feldenkirchen